My Week with Marilyn - 2 1/2 smiles

The title, “My Week With Marilyn,” should have been a clue that the movie wasn’t going to be anything more than a superficial look at Marilyn Monroe. The problem isn’t Michelle Williams’ portrayal of this iconic star, but the script by Adrian Hodges that adheres faithfully (maybe too much so) to Colin Clark’s memoir, which is full of clichés. Instead of a complex woman, the script offers a catalogue of Monroe stereotypes: exhibitionist, neurotic, free spirit, and, sadly, drug-addled woman. But we never get beyond these various Monroe faces. Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh as Laurence Olivier are effective as are the supporting cast, including Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Toby Jones and Dominic Cooper. However, Eddie Redmayne’s Colin smiles a lot but exhibits little depth. Again I’d have to blame the script.

The week in question was 1956. That’s when Colin Clark, a young Oxford graduate from a distinguished family, worked as a lowly gofer on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, an Edwardian comedy that starred Marilyn Monroe opposite Laurence Olivier, who was also the film’s producer and director. The pairing was unlikely and Olivier, a no-nonsense professional, couldn’t abide Monroe’s neediness, her bouts of paralysis or the protective people around her. But seriously, “My Week with Marilyn” is really just a reason for Michelle Williams to display her considerable talents, which she surely does. And that’s the only reason you will want to see this movie.